An advertising campaign caused an outcry on social media this week for its tagline ‘white makes you a winner’.

The Thai beauty company Seoul Secret was forced to apologise and withdraw the controversial advert that was uploaded to its Facebook page.

The video advert for ‘Snowz’ skin-lightening supplement pills features a local celebrity attributing her success to her pale complexion.

‘If I stopped taking care of my body and white complexion, all the whiteness I have invested in will be gone,’ says 35-year-old actress and model Cris Horwang.

The advert then shows Horwang covered in black make-up, jealously looking at a woman with light skin who appears next to her.

‘A newcomer will replace me and turn me into a dark star,’ she says in the video.

Whitening creams and pills are highly popular in many countries across Asia, where pale skin is considered extremely desirable and the standard of beauty.

The advert caused outrage on social media, and many complained that it was racist and reinforced narrow conceptions of beauty.

The company, Seoul Secret, said in a statement: ‘Our company did not have any intention to convey discrimination or racist messages. What we intended to convey was that self-improvement in terms of personality, appearance, skills, and professionality is crucial.’